Pemberton Lavender & Berry Farm – Cafe, Shop & Cottages

The Lavender & Berry Farm is a cute little cafe that also sells Lavender and Berry products.

It also has ponies

chickens

sheep

and birds

The first time we went it was raining on and off so we sat under the patio which had a beautiful view of the lake.

Charlie had some Berry Icecream and Cade and I shared a Berry Sundae, which was delicious. They make their own berry sauce which is absolutely beautiful and is also for sale by the jar to take home.

Just before we sat down, some people who were having scones left and as soon as they moved from the table some birds flew up to the table and got stuck into their cream. They came right up to us too, they were very friendly!

The second time we went the sun was shining so we sat out the front next to the playground.

The ducks were very friendly and photo bombed a few of our pictures.

Cade and I shared a blueberry pancake (it was huge!) and Charlie had some lavender icecream which I both highly recommend.
I wasnt too sure about the lavender icecream but while it was something different it was refreshingly delicious.

Pemberton Lavender & Berry Farm – Cafe, Shop & Cottages is located at Lot 65, Browns Road,  Pemberton, 6260, Western Australia.

For more information, check out their website http://www.lavenderandberryfarm.com.au/

Dark Chocolate Toasted Almond and Gingernut Hedgehog Slice

The basis of this recipe is as old as the hills.
I remember it was one of the first things I learnt how to make -  I loved bashing the biscuits with the rolling pin!
I have changed a few things to the original recipe to give it a grown up, decadent twist.

Ingredients

150g Gingernut biscuits
100g Milk Arrowroot biscuits
125g butter
2/3 cup caster sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
2 tablespoons desiccated coconut
1 egg

Topping

100g dark chocolate
50g butter

100g toasted flaked almonds

Method

1. Line and grease a 20x30cm tin.
2. Crush the biscuits with a rolling pin, food processor or potato masher and place in a large bowl.
3. Melt butter in saucepan, add in sugar and cocoa and mix well.
4. Remove from heat and stir in the coconut and egg.
5. Combine the biscuits and mixture and press into the tin.
6. Melt the dark chocolate and butter in the microwave for 90 seconds, stopping every 30 seconds to stir.
7. Spread the chocolate over the slice and sprinkle with almonds.
8. Put in the fridge for 2 hours to set.
9. Slice into small squares and keep in an airtight container in the cupboard.

This slices tastes ok straight of the fridge but its delicious at room temperature.

Steak and Veggie Gravy Pie

This pie is so delicious and easy to make.
The secret is in the slow cooking, the meat melts in your mouth!

Ingredients

20g butter
1kg chuck steak, diced into chunks
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon beef stock powder
2 tablespoons crushed garlic
1 cup chopped frozen onion
250g mushroom, sliced
1 x carrot, sliced
1 x celery stalk, sliced
1L hot beef stock
2 tablespoons tomato paste
a dash of Worshestire sauce
a dash of Tabasco sauce
a dash of Katjap Manis
2 tablespoons rosemary, chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 cup frozen peas
2 x sheets puff pastry
1 x egg yolk

Method

1. Combine the flour and stock powder in a large bowl, add the meat and toss to coat.

2. Melt butter in large saucepan on the stove and brown the meat in batches and put on a plate and put aside.
3. Add in the garlic and onion and stir over medium high heat until soft.
4. Add in the mushroom, carrot and celery and stir until soft.
5. Add the meat back into the pan and stir to combine.
6. Combine the stock and the sauces in a large jug and pour into the pan.

7. Add in the herbs, season with pepper, stir well and bring the mixture to the boil.
8. Simmer on low heat for two hours and then stir in the peas.
9. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees (180 fan forced).
10. Spoon the mixture into a large pie dish and cover it with the pastry. I cut one piece into four strips and put them around the edge of the pie dish.

I then put the other piece on top and push the pastry together using my fingers and then cut ventilation holes in the middle.

11. Brush the egg yolk over the pastry and bake the pie in oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Easy Chocolate Cake

My mum has been making this cake for as long as I can remember, it’s so easy and delicious.

Ingredients

125g butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
2 beaten eggs
2 tablespoons sifted cocoa
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla essence

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees (160 fan forced) and grease and line a 20cm round pan.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl until smooth, pour the mixture into the pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer, when inserted into the middle of the cake, comes out clean.
3. Cool cake on a wire rack before decorating.

There is a lot of ways you could decorate this cake, it’s so versatile.

For my recent birthday I used a heart shaped tin that didn’t seal up properly the first time and this happened!

Luckily I had two identical heart shaped tins so I made another cake and sliced it in half and spread a some strawberry jam and some whipped thickened cream over it.

I sprinkled grated chocolate over the cream and put the top layer back on using a cake lifter.

I then covered the cake with chocolate buttercream which is just 200g of butter whipped with 1 cup of icing sugar and two tablespoons of cocoa.

Then I cut a heart shape out of some baking paper and put the baking paper over the cake.

I then sprinkled 100′s and 1000′s over where the hole was.

Then gently lifted off the baking paper.

Charlie loves blowing out candles on birthday cakes. It makes him so happy, we light the candle and let him blow it out a couple of times.

Laurance Wines, Margaret River

Heavenly is one way to describe Laurance of Margaret River.

Cade and the boys took me here for my birthday yesterday and it was so divine.

We went on a Monday so with the exception of a couple of people who dropped by to look at the art and do some wine tasting we pretty much had the whole place to ourselves!

The food was beautiful. Cade and I shared Western Flavours Tasting Tray which had these little chorizo parcels that we just could have eaten all day – so good.

Charlie was very impressed with his kids meal. He got some panko crumbed chicken strips, a mandarin, a little piece of brownie and a drink.

The wines were absolutely gorgeous and so were the staff.
One of the servers invited me to do some wine tasting and she was very friendly and informative.
I am usually a white wine drinker but the Rose and the Red was so superb I got a bottle of each.
Both were so fragrant and smooth, not usually a Rose drinker but I had a glass with my lunch and I highly recommend it!

Laurance got a huge tick from me with the playground.
We could sit outside at  table and we were right next to the playground wo we could watch Charlie play while we ate.

There was no shortage of grass or shade so Max had a great time chilling out on his blanket.

Inside the building was a real treat, Laurance boasts two huge chandeliers made out of wine glasses and beautiful artwork.

I don’t know if this is heading into the TMI category but the restrooms are really something else too.
For starters all of the rooms are about the size of our first unit in Port Hedland and they are beautifully appointed.
They have the really old school (Victorian?) toilets were you pull a chain to flush.
One of the staff said that plenty of people take photos of the restrooms but I thought that was maybe a bit too much information for you all!
They have a disabled toilet and change table available too.

The grounds are something really special.
Laurance has 1,000 rose bushes of all different colours, fragrances and species, grass for days and beautiful sculptures.

The photos don’t do the experience justice.

I don’t think you could find a more perfect place for a wedding. Or a high tea. Or a high tea vow renewal.

They have a beautiful fountain where you can throw a gold coin in and make a wish for other people’s happiness and all of the money gets collected goes towards the Busselton Womens shelter which is really lovely.

Will defiantly be going back!

Laurance of Margaret River is located at 3518 Caves Road, Wilyabrup.
Which is technically in the Shire of Busselton but its still classed as being part of the Margaret River wine region.

For more information check out their website http://www.laurancewines.com/

Small Steps to a Big Change – White Chocolate, Sesame and Sunflower Seed Biscuits

Around this time last year I first heard about Thermomixes and I just didn’t get it.

I was thinking why on earth would you want to make something from scratch when you can just buy it from the shops?
Ha! I really had no idea or concept of clean eating with out all of the additives and preservatives.

I am slowly educating myself on clean eating and I love watching Jodie’s journey and I have learnt a lot from just reading her blog and checking out her Facebook page.

Thanks for writing this piece Jodie, I think the universe is telling me I need to get a thermie!

- Jac aka Retro Mumma xx

Hi, my name is Jodie and I live a very beautiful part of Western Australia, the South West. I have two little boys who are 2 ½ and 1.
My partner works FIFO and I work part time so life is very busy for me right now. I decided to start my blog Small Steps to a Big Change to keep track of my family’s changing lifestyle and to have a bit of accountability too I guess. I have been interested in removing additives and preservatives from our diet for a while now and when I read Julie Eady’s book Additive Alert, well that sealed the deal for me. I would recommend this book to everyone out there it’s an eye opener! It’s a great starting point for those of you who want to change your eating habits.

How do you change a lifetime of bad habits? Slowly, and with baby steps. There is so much information out there on food, green living and simple living it’s just mind boggling. I’ve spent countless hours during nap time and at night reading different blogs, websites and books. One thing is clear though, more and more families are choosing to change their lifestyle and eating habits. It’s like a mini revolution of getting back to basics. Living and eating like our grandparents did. Reducing our food waste, use of plastic, reusing and recycling,  and reducing our dependence on the dreaded microwave. These are just some of the things many people have started to do in their homes.

I’ve started to introduce a challenge a week on my blog which is just something small and easy that everyone can do in their own home. I’d love for others who want to change to join in too. The more people who start to turn their back on the big companies who choose what we eat and how we live the better! I want my boys to grow up with healthy eating habits and who else is going to teach them that but me? I’m certainly not perfect and I’m still learning everyday as this is one huge journey and I have a long, long way to go.

You can find my blog at http://smallstepstoabigchange.blogspot.com.au/ and I’m also on Facebook here (https://www.facebook.com/SmallStepsToABigChange?fref=ts) . If you want to email me about anything please feel free. I’m at smallstepstoabigchange@gmail.com .

I thought I’d include a recipe too as we all know how much Retro Mumma loves being in the kitchen This one is on my blog it’s a Thermomix recipe and is delicious! It’s off www.forumthermomix.com. I’m sure lots of you can convert this to a standard recipe but I’m not that clever!!!

White Chocolate, Sesame and Sunflower Seed Biscuits

Ingredients:
125g Unsalted Butter
80g Rapadura Sugar
1 egg
200g Self Raising Wholemeal flour
20g Sesame Seeds
20g Sunflower seeds
100g White Chocolate bits

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 120 degrees fan forced. Line baking sheets with grease proof or baking paper.

Place softened butter and rapadura in themomix and cream together 20 seconds speed 4-5. Scrape down bowl and cream a further 5-10 seconds if needed. Add egg and mix 10 seconds speed 4.  Place all remaining ingredients into the thermomix  and mix for 20 seconds on reverse and speed 4.

Place tablespoon sized balls of mixture onto baking sheets and flatten with a dampened fork.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until they just begin to change colour. Cool for 5-10 minutes before transferring to  wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Thankyou Retro Mumma for letting me post on your gorgeous blog J I hope to see some of you over at mine.

- Jodie

Mini Banoffee Pies

I have been doing the Michelle Bridges 12 Week Challenge since Max was a few weeks old and have lost seven kilos.

One of the hugest things I have learnt is portion control, you can still have dessert but you just have to watch your portions.

A Banoffee Pie has 5,375 calories and it feeds 6-8 people. So if I cut the pie into eighths each slice would contain 672 calories and if I cut it into sixths each slice would contain 896 calories.

So what I have done is made mini Banoffee Pies which contain 224 calories so even if you were to have two you would still be consuming a lot fewer calories that if you had a slice of a Banoffee Pie.

If you serve the mini pie with strawberries I find you only need to eat one to get that sweetness hit, these pies might be mini but they are still very moorish.

Ingredients

150g butternsap biscuits
100g milk arrowroot biscuits
150g butter
1 tin of Nestle Top N Fill
2 bananas
300mls double cream
50g dark chocolate
1 x punnet of strawberries

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (160 degrees fan forced) and line two muffin trays with patty cases.
2. Break the biscuits up and put them into a food processor and processes until the biscuits become crumbs.
3. Melt the butter in a microwave safe jug or bowl. Pour the butter into the food processor and combine with the crumbs. Keep the jug/ bowl you melted the butter in, do not wash.
4. Spoon approximately two teaspoons of mixture into each patty case and press down with your fingers or the back of a teaspoon.

5. Place trays into the freezer for a few minutes to harden.
6. Spoon the Top N Fill into the bowl you melted the butter in and whisk with a fork until it is smooth.
7. Spoon approximately two teaspoons of the caramel into each case and spread it evenly.

8. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes and then remove and allow to cool for around half an hour.
9. Cut up the banana and place over the mixture and then allow it to set in the fridge, it takes around an hour.

10. Lightly whip the cream and spread it on top of the bananas.
11. Grate the chocolate and sprinkle it over the cream.

12. Put back in the fridge to set for another half hour and then serve with the strawberries.